philosophical 
philosophical (fil-o-sof'i-kal), a. and n. [< 
philosophic + -nl.']' I. a. 1." Philosophic, (a) 
Relating or belonging to philosophy or philosophers; pro- 
ceeding from, based on, in keeping with, or used in phi- 
losophy or in philosophic study or research : as, u philo- 
sophical argument. 
Philosophical minds always love knowledge of a sort 
whicli shows them the eternal nature not varying from 
generation and corruption. 
Plato, Republic (tr. by Jowett), vi. 485. 
(&) Befitting a philosopher ; calm ; temperate ; wise ; con- 
trolled by reason ; undisturbed by passion ; self -con trolled. 
Gibber had lived a dissipated life, and his philosophical 
indifference, with his careless gaiety, was the breastplate 
which even the wit of Pope failed to pierce. 
/. D' Israeli, Quar. of Authors, p. 106. 
2. Pertaining to or used in the study of natural 
philosophy: as, philosophical apparatus ; &pliil- 
osophicul instrument. Philosophical arrange- 
ment, an Aristotelian category or predicament. Philo- 
sophical foot. See (jeimu'trical foot, uiider/oofc Philo- 
sophical pitch. Seejrifcfti. Philosophical presump- 
tion, an inference of the ampliative sort. 
II. t 1 . A student of philosophy ; a philos- 
opher. 2. pi. Philosophical studies; philos- 
ophy. 
Hen. Stretsham, a Minorite, who had spent several 
years here, and at Cambridge, in logicals, phUosophicals, 
and theologicals, was one [that supplicated for that de- 
gree, R D.] Wood, FastiOxon.,1. 61. 
philosophically (fil-o-sof'i-kal-i), adv. In a 
philosophical manner; according to the rules 
or principles of philosophy; calmly; wisely; 
rationally. 
philosophicalness (fil-o-sof i-kal-nes), n. The 
character of being philosophical. 
philosophise, philosophiser. See philosophize, 
philosophizer. 
philosophism (fi-los'o-fizm), . [< F. philoso- 
fMNMmfln. It.filoso'fismo=:Pg.philosophismo; 
as philosopli-y + -ism.] Spurious or ill-found- 
ed philosophy ; the affectation of philosophy. 
Among its more notable anomalies may be reckoned 
the relations of French phdosophimn to Foreign Crowned 
Heads. Carlyle, Diderot. 
philosophist (fi-los'o-fist), n. [< F. philoso- 
phiste = Sp. jUotefsm = Pg. philosophista ; as 
philosoph-y + -ist.] A philosopher ; especially, 
a would-be philosopher. 
This benevolent establishment did not escape the rage 
of the phttosophists, and was by them suppressed in the 
commencement of the republican era. 
Eustace, Italy, IV. v. 
philosophistic (fi-los-o-fis'tik), a. [= Pg.philo- 
sophistico; as philosophist + -ic, after sophistic.} 
Pertaining to the love or practice of philoso- 
phism, or spurious philosophy. Wright. 
pnilosophistical (fl-los-o-fis'ti-kal), a. [< phi- 
losophistic + -a/.] Same as philosophistic. 
philosophize (fi-los'o-fiz), v. i. ; pret. and pp. 
philosophized, ppr. philosophizing, [(.philosoph-y 
+ -fee.] To think or reason about the subjects 
of philosophy; meditate upon or discuss the 
fundamental principles of being, knowledge, or 
conduct ; reason after the manner of philoso- 
phers ; form or attempt to form a philosophi- 
cal system or theory. Also spelled philosophise. 
Anaxarchus his pain, though it seems not so sharp yet 
his courage appears as great, in that he could philoiophize so 
freely while he was by the cruelty of Archelaus braying 
in a mortar. Dr. U. More, Of Enthusiasm, 59. 
Every one, in some manner or other, either skillfully or 
unskillfully philosophises. 
Shaftesbury, Moralists, iii. 3, quoted in Fowler, p. 74. 
The most fatal error which a poet can possibly commit 
in the management of his machinery is that of attempt- 
ing to philosophise too much. Macaulay, Milton. 
No philosophizing Christian ever organised or perpetu- 
ated a sect. Milman, Latin Christianity, ix. 8. 
philosophizer (ft-los'o-fi-zer), n. [< philoso- 
phize + -erl.] One who philosophizes. Also 
spelled philosophiser. 
philosophresst (fi-los'o-fres), . [< philosopher 
+ -ess.] A female philosopher. [Rare.] 
She is &philosophress, augur, and can turn ill to good as 
Chapman, Ciesar and Pompey, v. 1. 
philosophy (fi-los'o-n),. ; pi. philosophies (-fiz). 
[< ME. philosophic, filosofie, < OF. philosophic, 
filosofie, F. philosophic = Sp.filosofla = Pg. phi- 
losophia = It. filosofia = D. filozofie = G. philo- 
sophie = T>a,n. Sw. filosofi, < L. philosophia, < Gr. 
fOoaofla, love of knowledge and wisdom, < <j>i- 
Aodo^of, a philosopher, one who speculates on 
the nature of things, existence, freedom, and 
truth ; in eccl. writers applied to one who leads 
a life of contemplation and self-denial ; lit. ' one 
who loves wisdom ' (a term first used, according 
to the tradition, by Pythagoras, who preferred 
to call himself qtUaotyoi;, one who loves wisdom, 
instead of o-o^of, a sage); in later use (Hesy- 
chius) in the sense 'loving a handicraft or art'; 
4446 
< dafaiv, love, + 0-00/a, wisdom, skill, art, < ro^of, 
wise, skilful: see sophist.] 1. The body of high- 
est truth; the organized sum of science: t In- 
solence of which all others are branches ; the 
science of the most fundamental matters. This 
is identified by different schools (a) with the account of 
the elementary factors operative in the universe ; the sci- 
ence of principles, or the matter, form, causes, and ends of 
things in general ; ((/) with the science of the absolute ; met- 
aphysics ; (c) with the science of science ; the theory of cog- 
nition ; logic. In Greek, philosophy originally signified cul- 
ture; but from Aristotle down it had two meanings (a) 
speculative knowledge, and (6) the study of the highest 
things, metaphysics. Chrysippus defined itas the science 
of things divine and human. In the middle ages philos- 
ophy was understood to embrace all the speculative sci- 
ences : hence the faculty and degree of arts in German uni- 
versities are called the faculty and degree in philosophy. 
InphUosophy, the contemplations of man do either pene- 
trate unto God or are circumferred to nature, or are re- 
flected or reverted upon himself. Out of which several 
inquiries there do arise three knowledges, divine philoso- 
phy, natural philosophy, and human philosophy, or human- 
ity. Bacon, Advancement of Learning, ii. 
Philosophy has been defined : The science of things di- 
vine and human, and the causes in which they are con- 
tained ; The science of effects by their causes ; The sci- 
ence of sufficient reasons ; The science of things possible, 
inasmuch as they are possible ; The science of things, 
evidently deduced from first principles ; The science of 
truths, sensible and abstract ; The application of reason 
to its legitimate objects ; The science of the relations of 
all knowledge to the necessary ends of human reason ; 
The science of the original form of the ego or mental self ; 
The science of science ; The science of the absolute ; 
The science of the absolute indifference of the ideal and 
real. Sir W. Hamilton, Metaphysics, iii. 
All knowledge of reason is . . . either based on concepts 
or on the construction of concepts ; the former being call- 
ed philosophical, the later mathematical. . . . The system 
of all philosophical knowledge is called philosophy. It 
must be taken objectively, if we understand by it the type 
of criticising all philosophical attempts, which is to serve 
for the criticism of every subjective philosophy, however 
various and changeable the systems may be. In this manner 
philosophy is a mere idea of a possible science which exists 
nowhere in the concrete, but which we may try to approach 
on different paths. ... So far the concept of philosophy 
is only scholastic. . . . But there is also a universal, or, 
if we may say so* a cosmical concept (conceptus cosmicus) 
of philosophy, which always formed the real foundation of 
that name. ... In this sense philosophy is the science of 
the relations of all knowledge to the essential aims of hu- 
man reason. 
Kant, Critique of Pure Reason (tr. by Miiller), II. 719. 
Philosophy is au all-comprehensive Synthesis of the doc- 
trines and methods of science ; a coherent body of theo- 
rems concerning the Cosmos, and concerning Man in his 
relations to the Cosmos of which he is a part. 
J. Fiske, Cosmic Philos., I. 9. 
That philosophy only means psychology and morals, or 
in the last resort metaphysics, is an idea slowly developed 
through the eighteenth century, owing to the victorious 
advances of science. Edinburgh Rev., CLXV. 95. 
2. A special branch of knowledge of high spec- 
ulative interest, (o) Any such science, as alchemy (in 
Chaucer). 
Voydeth your man and lat him be theroute, 
And shet the dore, whyls we ben aboute 
Our privetee, that no man us espye 
Whyls that we werke in this philosophye. 
Chaucer, Canon's Yeoman's Tale, 1. 128. 
(6t) Theology : this use of the word was common in the 
middle ages, (c) Psychology and ethics ; moral philosophy. 
(d) Physics ; natural philosophy. 
3. The fundamental part of any science ; pro- 
paedeutic considerations upon which a special 
science is founded; general principles con- 
nected with a science, but not forming part of 
it; a theory connected with any branch of hu- 
man activity: as, the philosophy of science; the 
philosophy of history ; the philosophy of govern- 
ment. 4. A doctrine which aims to be philoso- 
phy in any of the above senses. 
But who so coude in other thing him grope, 
Tbanne hadde he spent al his philosophic. 
Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. T., 1. 645. 
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, 
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. 
Shale., Hamlet, i. 5. 167. 
Of good and evil much they argued then, 
Of happiness and tlnal misery, 
Passion and apathy, and glory and shame ; 
Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy. 
Milton, P. L., ii. 565. 
We may return to the former distribution of the three 
philosophies, divine, natural, and human. 
Bacon, Advancement of Learning, ii. 152. 
We shall in vain interpret their words by the notions of 
our philosophy and the doctrines in our schools. Locke. 
5. A calm temper which is unruffled by small 
annoyances ; a stoical impassiveuess under ad- 
versityAssociation philosophy. See association. 
Atomic or atomistic philosophy. See atomic. 
Christian philosophy, the philosophy of St. Augustine 
and other fathers of the church. Constructive phi- 
losophy, the philosophy of Schelling and others, as op- 
posed to the merely destructive philosophy of Kant. 
Corpuscular philosophy, the doctrine of atoms consid- 
ered as a philosophy or general explanation of the phe- 
nomena of the world, particularly that form of the doc- 
trine advocated by Robert Boyle. Critical philosophy 
See critical. Doctor of philosophy. See doctor. Ex- 
Philydraceae 
periniental philosophy. See experimental. First 
philosophy, tne science of the principles of being ; on- 
tology; metaphysics. Inductive, mechanical, moral, 
natural, Newtonian, etc., philosophy, see the ad- 
jectives. Italic school of philosophy. Same as Py. 
thayorean school t\f philoKophy. Objective philosophy. 
Same as transcendental philosophy. Philosophies of 
the absolute. See absolute. Philosophy of identity, 
the philosophy of Schelling and Hegel, as maintaining the 
absolute identity of identity and non-identity. Pneumat- 
ict, positive, symbolical, ete., philosophy. See the 
adjectives. Practical philosophy, philosophy having 
action as its ultimate end ; the laws of the faculties con- 
nected with desire and volition. Pythagorean school 
of philosophy. B^Pj/Oaffonon. Theoretical, specu- 
lative, or contemplative philosophy, that philosophy 
which has no other aim than knowledge. Transcenden- 
tender love, < ^Aoorop/of, loving, tenderly af- 
fectionate, < fy&elv, love, + aTopyri, affection, < 
crspyeiv, love.] Natural affection, such as that 
of a mother for her child. 
philotechnic (fil-o-tek'nik), a. [= F. philotech- 
nique, < Gr. ^MoTe^wf, fond of art, < tjiiAeiv, love, 
+ TCXW/, art: see technic.] Having a fondness 
for the arts, or a disposition to study or foster 
them ; devoted to study of the arts, or to pro- 
moting advancement in them. 
philotechnical (til-o-tek'ni-kal), a. [< philo- 
technic + -al.] Same as pliilotechnic. 
philotheosophical (fil-o-the-o-sof'i-kal), . [< 
philo(sophical) + theosophical.] Relating to 
philosophy and theosophy. [Rare.] 
King of Berytus, to whom Sanchoniathon dedicated his 
philo-theosophical writings. Cooper, Arch. Diet., p. 10. 
philozoic (fil r o-z6'ik), a. [< Gr. ytfelv, love, + 
Zfiov, an animal, + -ic.] Having a tenderness 
for brute creatures ; characterized or prompted 
by fondness for animals. [Rare.] 
philter, philtre (fil'ter), . [Formerly also fil- 
ter; < F. philtre, filtre = Sp. flltro = fg.phil- 
tro = It. filtro, < L. philtrum, < Gr. 0i'/4rpov, a 
love-charm; prop. <t>i'Arrrpov, < (ju^slv, love: see 
philo-.] A potion supposed to have the power 
of exciting sexual love ; a love-potion. 
They can make friends enemies and enemies friends by 
philters. Burton, Anat. of MeL, p. 128. 
The cailliachs (old Highland hags) administered drugs 
which were designed to have the effect of philtres. 
Scott, Rob Roy, Int. 
philter, philtre (fil'ter), . *. ; pret. and pp. 
philtered, philtred, ppr. philtering, philtring. [< 
philter, n.] 1. To impregnate with a love-po- 
tion: as, to philter a. draught. 2. To excite to 
sexual love or desire by a potion. Dr. B. More. 
Soon, like wine, 
Her eyes, in mine poured, frenzy-philtred mine. 
Lowell, Endymion, ii. 
philtrum (fll'trum), . [L. : see philter.] A 
philter. 
Love itself is the most potent philtrum. 
Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 434. 
Philydor (fil'i-dor), . [NL. (Spix, 1824), < Gr. 
0(/U<v, love, + vdup, water.] A genus of South 
Philydor superciliaris. 
American synallaxine birds, of the family Deti- 
drocolaptidse, containing numerous species, 
such as P. superciliaris of Brazil. 
Philydraceae (fil-i-dra'se-e), n. pi. [NL. (Lind- 
ley, 1836), < Philydrum H- -acese.] A small order 
of monocotyledonous plants, of the series Coro- 
nariese, distinguished by the irregular flowers 
with two petals, one stamen, and two rudiments, 
three carpels, and numerous ovules, it includes 
3 genera, each with one species, mainly Australian. They 
are small herbs with sword-shaped leaves sheathing at the 
